


In an alternate timeline...

by faerytold (orphan_account)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, I would still love feedback though, It was going to be 10 chapters and I was in love, It's an AU, an outline of what i planned because I'm never going to write this, i was so excited for it but I moved on now and I wanted to share what could have been, just found this and forgot i had even written this much tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22051699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/faerytold
Summary: an outline of what I had planned for this story. I like the title I had originally planned so I'll be reusing that for a future work, but it was going to be Conquered by Love.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 -   
• Regina decides she needs something to fill the hole in her life, something to take the place of the void she feels.   
• What is something she hates about her childhood? Who is someone else she wants to be better than, other than Snow White? Cora.   
• So, Regina adopts a young girl. She wanted a baby, naturally, but the agency told her an awful story - the six year old had already passed through several foster homes. She had been found with a little boy, most likely her brother, but even he had abandoned her. So now she really needed a home. Won’t Regina take her, just for a week or so?  
• Of course, she agrees.   
Chapter 2 -  
• Six year olds are a lot. Could she have even handled a baby, with the constant attention they need? At least Emma can feed and bathe herself, mostly.   
• Already she doesn’t trust Regina. Day 3 and she’s asking when Regina is going to make her leave. It breaks Regina’s heart.   
Regina calls the social worker and tells her the girl doesn’t have to leave so soon. The social worker sounds relieved.   
• After two months, Emma gets angry and destroys, just obliterates, an entire room while Regina is gone. Regina breaks down. Can she really keep this girl? Can she be a better mother than Cora? She yelled at Emma and sent her to her room and did she even ask why Emma did what she did? No. She’s just as bad as Cora, isn’t she.   
But she vows to do better and right then is the time to start. She talks to Emma.   
She and Emma decide that maybe they can make a go of being a family. 

Chapter 3 -  
• Adoption day. Regina makes a big fuss, has a celebration. Emma is ecstatic.   
• Emma is adopted, but how far can she push Regina. She can, after all, still send her back. Emma had seen it happen.  
Emma does everything she can to test the waters, to push, until one night she follows Regina into her vault. Regina is having a personal breakdown and talking to herself about how she’s just an awful mother, like Cora, and that Emma deserves better  
Emma rushes to her and tells her shes a good mom and hey, actually, that’s the first time Emma ever called Regina mom.   
Chapter 4 -  
• A glimpse at age 7, 8, 9, and 10.   
• Suddenly, Emma is interested in fairytales. Regina knew it was a mistake to buy Emma a tablet, but the girl insisted.   
• Suddenly Emma is carting around a huge Once Upon a Time book. Where did it come from? Regina has no clue, but she has a sinking feeling. Is it time for the savior already?  
Chapter 5 -   
• Emma keeps sneaking off to this god-forsaken playground. She suddenly doesn’t trust Regina again. Regina sneaks into her room at night and takes the book. She can’t stand the look of mistrust in Emma’s eyes.  
• She reads the book and it’s their story. Not some palatable farce in gaudy colors, but their real, actual story.   
• Regina frets. Her heart is torn in two.   
• And now Mary Margret is acting weird. (Hello flower from s6)  
• Everything is collapsing around her.  
Chapter 6 -   
• Emma is sneaking out at night. She’s ten, and she’s already sneaking out. Regina keeps an eye on John Doe.   
• The book is gone, and then she sees it in Emma’s book bag. While Emma is at Granny’s. With Mary Margret.  
• It takes all her self-control to not strangle MM right there.  
• Maybe she can talk to Emma?   
• Bad call, Emma told her she was evil and not her mother. Regina goes home and cries and then decides to take action.  
Chapter 7 -   
• John Doe is gone. How could he be gone. They’re all awake. Emma knows.   
• Gold is awake, too.   
• Snow has the bean and the are considering taking Emma and running.   
• Regina is devastated. “No, no, don’t take her from me. Please.” She breaks down right there.   
• “Is this what you want, Emma? Do you want to go with them? Will that make you happy?” Tears running down Regina’s face. Regina refuses to stand in the way of her daughter’s happiness. The Charmings are her birth parents, after all. “I’ll never hurt your happiness.”  
• It all comes flooding out. Daniel and the hurt. Maybe some about how horrid Snow’s dad was but maybe not. And how she loves Emma and wants her to be happy, to live a great life.  
• She kisses Emma on the cheek and THE CURSE BREAKS  
Chapter 8 -  
• The town hates her but with snow and David on her side there isn’t much they can do   
• She’s still the mayor and getting used to having to share Emma and she is soooo angry because now she only has Emma on the weekends and how in any realm is that fair?  
• No one can leave the town limits  
• Sherriff Robin is in the picture suddenly (it’s my story I’ll do as i wish)  
• Despite being angry about the Emma predicament maybe there’s a positive side  
Chapter 9 -  
• Regina and Robin begin dating. Marion died long ago and NOT AT REGINA’S HAND but he still has Roland bc dimples queen is cute  
and he helps her calm down about Emma being taken from her, telling her it will work • so is young!emma and a little Roland aww just imagine  
• Emma gets jealous and thinks Regina has found an new family and doesn’t want her  
Chapter 10 -  
• Fluff fest! All is happy and well. All is made up, Robin and Regina are happy, Emma can come and go from each house as she wants. All is well.


	2. apparently i wrote chapter 1 too?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess I wrote a chapter of this, too. maybe i should have gone through my docs a while back. Anyway, this is the only chapter that's going to be written.

Regina Mills had a small, nervous smile on her face. She took a breath to steady herself. This agency had promised her she and the right child would find each other, and she was excited to meet them - excited, but scared. Not that she would ever admit to being scared, not to herself. Especially not about meeting a baby, of all things.

“Miss Mills, you’ve been approved through our systems. We’re so glad you’ve decided to open your home to a child.” The older woman was dressed frumpily, her mascara smeared. She threw a glance to Regina. “I know when we spoke on the phone, you were interested in younger children.”

“Yes.” Regina leaned forward ever so slightly. Her shoulders tensed. “That’s right.”

The woman flashed another smile, and Regina saw it for what it was. A softening blow. Something to make her let her guard down. “We do have a wonderful girl. Based on your trainings and her past, and what you’ve shared with us, I think you two would be a great fit.” 

Regina was wary now. “Oh?”

“But she’s six. Your profile says zero to three, but she really needs a place to stay.” The woman's smile was gone now, instead filled with concern. “It doesn’t have to be permanent. We need somewhere she’s going to be warm and safe and able to sleep in a bed. She’s been sleeping in one of the meeting rooms for the last three days. Please.” 

Regina sat back. “Surely there’s another home-”

The woman cut her off. “No. There isn’t. She’s already been through thirteen homes. She really is a great kid.”

Regina sighed. “A week, you say?”

“Just long enough to find a group home with space for her.”

Main Street was the same. For six blasted years, not one thing had changed. Snow - Mary Margaret, that is - and Charming were separated. All the people of the Enchanted Forest were here, living out their days, the same over, and over, and over.

It was killing Regina. Sure, the torment of Snow and those who had opposed her was great, but there was still something else. Something missing. 

She thought of her father often. His warm, compassionate eyes. Even in her darkest moments, he had loved and supported her. Even in the depth of her self-loathing, he had never pitied her. 

Not like her mother. No, her mother, who couldn’t have been bothered to let Regina be happy. She had shown her. She was happy and had everything she wanted. It was just a flicker of a thought crossing her mind, but it took root. She was certain she could raise a child better than her mother, too.

The girls name was Emma. When they had been introduced, a cold bolt of ice had struck Regina. Then the girls history had been explained. She had a brother, but had been separated from him to give her the best chance at finding a forever family. 

Emma had refused to unpack her clothes. She wouldn’t let Regina do anything more than cook for her. She was a very independent child. The third day, at dinner, Regina understood why. They were eating, dead silent. Emma refused to answer any of Regina’s questions, so Regina stopped trying. 

The young girl looked up at Regina, watching her movements. “What?” Regina asked. 

Emma shrugged, spearing a green bean with her fork. “When are you sending me away?”

Regina sat her fork down, mouth falling open slightly. The question was nonchalant, asked in the same manner as a request for salt. 

“It’s okay. I know no one wants to keep me.” Emma’s eyes fell to her plate. “That’s why I’m here. Everyone keeps sending me away.”

That second, Regina made up her mind. “I’m not sending you away. If you want to stay, my home is yours.” 

Emma just takes a deep breath and keeps eating. Regina doesn’t touch her food again, and instead watches the young girl eat her food. In the week she had been staying with Regina, Emma had barely made her presence known. If anyone walked into the house, it would seem as if Emma was just a house guest. Maybe the child had a reason to believe she was leaving.

After all, that had been the original plan. 

Regina stood and walked away from the table, making her way up the stairs. She felt Emma’s eyes on her, heard the chair scoot back and the footfalls rush after her. “What are you doing?” Emma asked. 

Regina turned and faced Emma. “Come and see.” She holds her hand out to Emma and, after a moments hesitation, Emma takes it. Regina leads Emma to her room, and she sees the frightened look on the girls face. “What do you see?” Regina asked. 

Emma knitted her brow together, looking up at Regina in confusion. “A room?”

“Hm, yes, and that is a problem. It isn’t your room, is it?” Regina was surprised when Emma pulled her hand away and walked over to her things. The girl picked up a ratty old blanket she had been sleeping with and put it in her bag. 

She trudged over to Regina with all of her things. “When will they be here?”

Now it was Regina’s turn to be confused. “When will who be here, Emma?”

“My social worker. You said this wasn’t my room anymore.” The clear acceptance of events was enough to break Regina’s heart, again. How could a child this young have already faced so much that she was ready to move at a moments notice?

Regina knelt in front of Emma. She reached out and held onto Emma’s shoulders, looking her in the eye. “No, Emma. No. I meant this room doesn’t reflect you. There’s nothing here that screams ‘Emma lives here’. Do you understand. I want you to stay with me, Emma. Forever.” Regina did her best to blink back the tears she felt forming in her eyes. “If you want me, I would love to be your mother.”

“Mother,” Regina called. “Mother, where are you?” She was just a young girl, barely six years old, and she had been shopping with her mother, but she was no where to be found. She felt near tears. The market was crowded and she couldn’t find her mother anywhere.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she screamed. When she turned and the face wasn’t one she knew, she took off as fast as she could, crying for her mother to come to her, to find her. But she couldn’t see her. All these people were so tall, and none of them were helping her. 

Eventually, she found a small alcove, where she could watch for her mother to pass by. She would. She had to, if Regina had found herself here. She waited. And she waited. And she waited. Eventually, the market was completely empty except for Regina herself. Her voice and tears had long since left her. 

She was curled on the ground, imagining all the awful things her mother had told her about street urchins happening to her, when she heard footsteps. She held her breath and peeked out. “Regina,” came a familiar voice, thought it was filled with panic. “Regina, where are you?”

“Papa!” She croaked. She dashed from her hiding spot and ran, leaping into his outstretched arms. “Oh, papa, I was so afraid.”

It felt as if he would never let her go, and at that moment, Regina was more than okay with that. “My darling girl, so was I.” She cried into his neck as he held her and they made their way home. He never offered explanation for what had happened, and Regina didn’t ask. After all, with her father saving her, what more could she want?

Regina felt her heart beat triple when Emma threw herself around her neck. She held the girl close, stroking her hair, as the little girl cried and clung to her. 

They stayed like that until Emma pulled away. “You really want me?” Emma’s voice was small, smaller than Regina had ever heard it.

“Of course!” Despite the tears, Regina felt herself smiling. She cupped Emma’s cheek in her hand. “Of course I do.”


End file.
